Wind-wheel



(No Model.) asneets-sneet 1.

.A..` SHERWOOD. WIND WHEEL.

No. 272,489. y Patented.F-eb.20, 1883.

(No Mogel.) Y 2 sheets-'sheen 2. A.. SHBRWOOD.

A WINDv WHEEL. No.272,489. vPatented Feb'. 20,188.3.

NA PETERS. PhMa-Lithognblr. Wuhingim. D. C

NITED STATES PATENr OFFICE.

ALvIN sHnRwooD, or BUaL'INcroN, KANsAs.

WIND-WHEEL.

SIPLEICIFIICATIONY forming part ofv Letters Patent No. 272,489, dated February 20, 1883.

v Application Afiled November 14, 1882. (No model.) Y

To all whom it may concern v Beit known that I, ALvrN SHERWooD, of Burlington, in the county of Coley and State ot' Kansas, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Wind-Wheels; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description ofthe invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same. 1o My invention relates to an improvement in wind -wheelsand is designed more partielllarly as an improvementon Patent No.244,67 7, granted to meJuly 19, 1881, the object of the si'ame being to provide a machine with wings which regulate the speed of the machine by being automatically thrown out of the wind when the speed is too fast and automatically righting themselves as they come back to their original position. zo lWith these ends in view` my invention consists in the parts and combinations of parts, as will be more fully described, and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figurel is a side elevation of my improvement. Fig. 2

is a plan view of the same. Fig. 3 is an enlarged detached view, showing the manner of connecting the rigid and hinged armstogether. Fig. 4t is a detached view, showing the manner ot' securing the ywings to the hinged arms.

Fig. 5 is a detail view illustrating'the connection of the wings to the movable arms. A represents an upright standard, tower, or other suitable support, providedwith the bearing B and the step C, and D a vertical windwheel shaft journaled in the bearing B and supported on the step C. This shaft D is provided above its lower bearin g end with the crank E, to which one end ot' the pitman F is 4o loosely secured. The opposite end of this pitman is secured to the upright arm of the bellcran/k lever G, while the horizontal arm of the said bell-crank can be connected directly to a pump-rod, or to any machinery capable of receiving its motion from the wheel. A depending arm can be secured to the bell-crank below the vertical arm thereof, and by means `ot' the rod a and the T-lever b motion can be transmitted to a pump orl machinery situated a considerable distance from the-wind-wheel. When this standard is secured to a building the shaft runs through the step, and is squared at its lower end for the attachment of another shaft, which latter extends downas far as necessary. This lower shaft can be provided with 5 5 a crank and wheel or gear-wheels for imparting 4the necessary motion to the machinery it .is intended to drive. The standard is also provided with the steps or rungs c3 for ascending to a suitable scaffold, c4. This scaffold is 6o situated below the arms ofthe mill, and is for. convenience in oilingthe parts..v Y

To the upper end of the shaft D the radial v arms Hare'rigidly secured. These armstwo or more in number-are connected together at 6 5 right anglesby lap-joints, andl the end of the shaft passes upward through thisjoint, and, as before stated, is rigidly secured therein in any -desired manner.l These arms crossingeach other centrally form four or more radial arms, 7o to. the outer ends of which the arms I are loosely-secured by means of the pins c. Each rigid -arm is provided on its upper surface with a bracket, J, made ot metal or wood, as desired, which latter, together with the rigid arms, are adapted to form between them bearings or supports for the inner ends vof the hinged arms I. These hinged arms I are each also provided with a bracket or bearing-piece,

J, adapted to bear against the inner face of 8o the bearing-piece J ot' the rigid arms, and consequently increase the bearing-surface of the hinged arms and strengthen the joint or connections between the'said rigid and hinged arms. Each hinged arm is provided with a laterally-extending rigid finger, K, adapted to engage the curved spring-lock L of the rigid arm H and hold the two under ordinary circumstances in the same `radial line. These springs are constructed to withstand a certain 9o amount of strain or pressure, and when this given amount is exceeded the springs will yield and allowv the hinged armsto swing around with the attached wings out ofthe direct action ofthe wind. A space of about twoinches is left between the tops of the brackets Jand J', and the pins c are passed through the said brackets and arms in an inclined direction, as shown. Thus it will be seen that when the wind is sufcientl y strong to unlock the hinged army from the rigid loo arm the said hinged arm will not move around Y in horizontal line, but will be Vmoved around in an inclined direction upward-that is to say, the outer end of the hinged arm will be in a higher horizontal plane than the inner end thereof, and as soon as the pressure of the wind against the inclined hinged arm is relieved the said arm will turn on its pivot-pin c by gravity alone, and will automatically lock itself in position; but I do not confine myself to this latter construction, as it is evident that the pins c can pass vertically through the brackets and arms instead of atan inclination, and when thus constructed, when the wind is suiciently strong to unlock the parts, the hinge remains unlocked until so turned that the wind will act on its rear face, when it is forced backward and again becomes locked to the rigid arm. This operation or movement takes place on all the arms, and the mill is consequently prevented from rotating too rapidly.

To the outer ends of the hinged arms the spring-actuated wings M are pivotally secured. These wings can be made ofsheet metal, wood,

or a frame covered with canvas, and answer all the necessary purposes. The outer end ofeach hinged arm is provided on its upper and lower surfaces with the brackets or bearing-pieces N, whichlatter are adapted to rest between the rearwardly-projecting bearing-pieces d of the wings and form an extended bearing or connection between the parts. The wings are secured to the hinged arms by the pins c, andthe latter' are encircled between the bearing-pieces on the upper and lower faces of the hinged arms. by the springs O. These springs are each provided with a central rearward extension adapted to move between the end of the arm and the rigid strikefand two end extensions, which pass forwardly and bear against and are secured to the rear face of the wings. Each spring O is provided with a wooden core or roller, d3, which latter is situated longitudinally within the coils ot the springs, and through which the pivot pins or bolts pass. These cores hold the springs in position, add to their strength, and prevent them from bulging at one side and becoming distorted in shape after constant usage. The wings, when in operation, follow or come behind the hinged arm, and when the wind is suliciently strong to overcome the tension ot' the springs O they restclose up against the said arms. Each wing is allowed to swing from a position at right angles to the arms half the distance inward toward the said arm, or one-eighth of a circle, without bringing the springs into operation 5 but, as before stated, when the wind is strong enough the tension of the springs are overcome and the wings rest up against their respective arms.

For the purpose of illust-rating the movement ofthe wings during onerevolution of the wheel,we willsuppose the wind is coming direct from the north, and one arm has just turned from the north and revolving toward the east. As soon as the wind strikes the wing on this arm it forces it in toward the arm and holds it against or near to the said arm until the wing turns from the south to the west, when the wind getting in between the arm and wing forces the wing outward to a position at or beyond a right angle to the arm. While the wing is in this position the wind .still acts on it and assists materially in turning the wheel. As this wing gets around to the west it still stands about quarter-face to the wind until it passes from west to the north, where the edge thereof is presented until it gets to the starting-place, where a full face is again presented.

From the foregoing it will be seen that with a four-winged mill three of the wings are oonstantly exposed to the full force of the wind, whilethe remaining one is presented edgewise thereto, and consequently offers but little resistance to the free rotation of the wheel.

If desired, the springs O between thewings and hinged arms and the stops can be dispensed with; but I prefer to use the springs shown and described, as they keep the wings thoroughly under control and add to the power of the mill and prevent them from heilig damaged by shocks caused by the sudden opening and closing of the wings against the hinged arms.

It is apparent, also, that numerous yielding locking mechanisms for holdingthe hinged arms in proper relative position on the rigid arms can be devised without departing froml the spirit of my invention.

'lo the standard, on the side opposite the vertical shaft, I have provided means for stopping and locking the wheel when it is not desired for use. This mechanism consists of two levers, P, pivoted to the standardin the position shown. These levers are connected together by the ropes or wires 7L, and by grasping the handle of the lower lever and moving it down the opposite end of the upper lever is forced upward, so as to project or rest between the rigid arms H. When this upper lever is tilted or inclined, as described, it forms an abutment for the following rigid arm and stops the movement of the wheel. By simply placing a pin or plug above or below the lower lever and to one side or the other of its pivot-pin the said levers will be held in an elevated or depressed position, and consequently lock the wheel or leave it free to revolve.

It is evident that numerous changes in the construction and relative arrangement of the several parts of my improvement might be resorted to without departing from the spirit of my invention, and hence I would have it understood that I do not limit myself to the exact construction shown and described, but consider myself atliberty to make such changes and alterations as fairly fall within the spirit and scope of my invention.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a windmill having a horizontal windwheel, the combination, with the shaftD, rigid arms H, movable arms I, pivoted to said rigid arms, and the rigid wings M, pivoted to said movable arms, of the spring locking devices, arranged to normally hold the movable arms ISO IIS

IZO

in line with the rigid arms and permit them to swing back under stress of wind, andthe springs, arranged to hold thewings to the wind and also permit them to be turned back on the movable arms in a horizontal direction, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, with the rigid arms, the movable arms pivoted thereto, and the spring locking,` devices, arranged to hold the movable arms in line with the rigid arms,and also to permit said movable arms to swing back and to become'released, substantially as described.

3. The combination, with the rigid arms 4H and movable arms I, and suitable bearingpieces, of the inclined pin forming the pivot between said arms, substantially as described, and for the purpose set forth.

4. The combination, with the standard `and radial rigid Varms of the wind-Wheel, of break or locking devices arranged to be interposed between two of said arms and form a positive stop for the wheel, substantially as described.

5. The combination, with the movable'arms havin` the bracket or bearing pieces N projecting` from opposite sides thereof, of the Wings having the bearing-pieces d, the pivot e, the springs O, surrounding said pin and having a looped portion bearing against the end of the movable arms and bent ends bearing against the wings, substantially as described.

6. The combination, with the rigid arms, each provided with spring-lock, ofthe movable arms,

'ALVIN sHeRWooD.

Witnesses G. I. HARVEY, En. CLIMER.

' each provided with a laterally-projecting n ger 

